Deviating from the Norm: NHL Power Rankings Week 4
Biggest Jump: Toronto Maple Leafs, 19
Biggest Drop: Pittsburgh Penguins, 19
1. Florida Panthers (10–0–1) (UP 1) — Far and away the best team in the league, the Florida Panthers have won two in a row. Florida suffered their first loss, albeit in a shootout, over a week ago to Boston. In their matchup against Washington, the Cats blew a three-goal lead before an Eetu Luostarinen overtime game winner. The Panthers took down the last undefeated team Saturday, Carolina, as they scored four in the first and never looked back. Florida heads to the World’s Most Famous Arena tonight.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (9–1–0) (UP 4) — Even after allowing five goals against the Panthers Saturday, the Hurricanes still sit first for goals allowed in the league at 20. Frederik Andersen took revenge against the Leafs about two weeks ago, as he now has a .939 save percentage. Halloween was a bit spooky for Carolina, as they only beat the Coyotes by one. Rookie Seth Jarvis has played in three contests and has scored two points, including his first NHL goal against Chicago. Carolina hosts Metro rival Philadelphia Friday.
3. Edmonton Oilers (9–1–0) (NO MOVEMENT) — After losing on a Wednesday night to the Flyers, the Oilers picked up where they left off and haven’t lost since. Connor McDavid has 22 points and doesn’t even lead Edmonton in scoring, as Leon Draisaitl has 23 of his own. After a pair of 5–2 wins against Seattle and Nashville, Edmonton fought back against the Rangers Saturday, climbing out of a three-goal hole with McDavid tying the game late and Draisaitl scoring the OT winner. Edmonton starts a five-game road trip against Detroit tomorrow.
4. Minnesota Wild (8–3–0) (UP 2) — Minnesota just screams fun hockey. With a flair for the dramatic, as seen in their match against the Pens (tying the game with about two seconds), the Wild have won five of six and sit atop the Central division. Defenseman Matt Dumba leads the Wild in scoring with nine points, as the deep roster only has two players who haven’t recorded a point. Kirill the Thrill potted an overtime game winner against Ottawa this past week, capping off a crazy game that saw Minnesota blow a 4–1 lead. Arizona Wednesday.
5. Philadelphia Flyers (6–2–2) (UP 6) — While the Western Canadian road trip wasn’t kind to the Flyers, seeing them lose two of three, a home match against Arizona kicked off a three-game point streak. Carter Hart shutout the Coyotes, as he now has a .926 save percentage. Travis Konecny continues to be a pest, as he’s tied for third on the Flyers with eight points, including two in his last three games. Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier each have 12 points, matching each other with five goals. Philly hosts Toronto Wednesday.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (7–4–1) (UP 19) — Leading scorers for the Toronto Maple Leafs? In order, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews. Oh, and sitting in fifth is the man who just signed an eight-year extension, Morgan Rielly. Chris Johnston recently pointed out the last 13 goals for the Leafs have been scored by the four forwards. Toronto’s five-game win streak started against Chicago, as the Leafs won in OT, with Nylander scoring. Nylander notched another OT winner against Tampa, as the Leafs tied the game late off the stick of Tavares. L.A. tonight.
7. Calgary Flames (7–1–3) (UP 5) — Coming back to the Saddledome after an undefeated eastern swing, including drubbings of the Rangers, Devils, and Penguins, the Flames came home to defeat the Flyers. A pair of OT losses to Nashville and Dallas was answered with another shutout of the Rangers Saturday night, as Jakob Markström now has a .942 save percentage. Matthew Tkachuk’s grit and scoring touch has been great for Calgary as he has 11 points on the year. Calgary gets San Jose at home tomorrow.
8. Columbus Blue Jackets (7–3–0) (UP 7) — Heating up, Columbus has won four of five with the lone loss coming to the Rangers. Losing to the Rangers might have been short term, however Patrik Laine is out long term (4–6 weeks) with an oblique injury; Laine is second on the team with 10 points. Elvis Merzlikins has been phenomenal for the Blue Jackets, as he has a .940 save percentage in six games. Rookie Cole Sillinger has stepped up with six points for Columbus. Columbus is off until Friday when they play Washington.
9. St. Louis Blues (7–2–1) (DOWN 8) — An even couple of weeks has pushed the Blues to second place in the Central division, as they sit behind Minnesota. Getting half of their points on the California road trip after beating L.A. and Chicago at home, St. Louis still remains a top dog in the west. Torey Krug forced OT in Los Angeles, as the defenseman scored with around seven seconds to go. St. Louis heads north to Winnipeg before coming home to the Predators Thursday.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning (6–3–2) (UP 14) — Picking up steam, the Bolts have won four of their last five, with the lone loss coming in overtime against Toronto. Victor Hedman blew a clear as Toronto tied the game, the Swede also took a penalty in OT that led to the game-winner. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos are moving Tampa in the right direction, as the forwards have nine and 14 points, respectively. Tampa gets Carolina tomorrow night before a rough battle of Florida Saturday.
11. Winnipeg Jets (6–3–2) (UP 10) — After taking five of six points on the California road trip, the Jets came home to defeat Dallas in a shootout and Chicago in regulation before being shutout by the Islanders on Saturday. Kyle Connor has taken charge for the Jets, as the former-Michigan forward has 16 points for Winnipeg. Neal Pionk provides offense with nine points for a great blueline that has only allowed four goals in its last three games. The Jets host St. Louis tomorrow, as they are amidst a seven-game homestand.
12. Detroit Red Wings (6–5–2) (UP 4) — Detroit has been extremely fun over the past couple of weeks, as they pushed the best team in the league to overtime and had a couple of overtime wins themselves, beating Washington and Buffalo. Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider recorded the game-winners, as the two have combined for 18 points this year. If Thomas Greiss and Alex Nedeljkovic could be a tad better than their .906 and .910 save percents, Detroit may be playoff sleepers. Detroit hosts McDavid tomorrow night.
13. New York Rangers (6–3–3) (DOWN 3) — After splitting a pair of home games with Calgary and Columbus, the Rangers went west, losing three of four, only beating Seattle and losing to Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary. The Rangers blew a 4–1 lead against Edmonton, as the defense turned to mush. Both games against Calgary, New York looked horrendous, getting outscored 10–0; that can’t happen. Igor Shesterkin’s .930 save percentage somehow isn’t enough for the Rangers. Worry about grit once you get to the playoffs. Florida tonight.
14. New York Islanders (5–3–2) (DOWN 4) — Continuing their season opening road trip, their four latest contests have proven difficult, however, the Isles have scrapped together points in three of them. After losing to Nashville in a shootout, New York defeated the Habs and Jets, with Ilya Sorokin recording a shutout against Winnipeg. Brock Nelson’s four-goal game against Montréal might have sparked some offense for the defensively sound roster, but the team only mustered two goals against Winnipeg. The Islanders play at the Prudential Center on Thursday.
15. Anaheim Ducks (6–4–3) (UP 8) — Anaheim pulled a balancing act over the last two weeks, losing three straight and then winning a trio of games. Two of the three losses came in extra time, while the regulation loss came to Winnipeg. The short three-game homestand saw the Ducks outscore opponents 11–2. After not recording a point in the season opener, Troy Terry has registered points in the last 12 games. Anaheim heads to the Pacific Northwest to take on Vancouver Tuesday and Seattle Thursday.
16. San Jose Sharks (6–4–1) (DOWN 8) — San Jose’s hot start has been quelched as they’ve lost two games in a row, with the latest loss coming to the Devils in a shootout. Before their win against the Sabres at home, Timo Meier won the day for San Jose as they beat Winnipeg in overtime; Meier leads the team with 11 points. Tomáš Hertl’s eight points and San Jose’s start may keep him in California after this season, only time will tell. James Reimer’s .946 save percent has kept the Sharks afloat.
17. Washington Capitals (5–2–4) (DOWN 8) — Trouble is brewing in the US capital as Washington has one win in their last five matches, with the lone win coming against Arizona. Detroit, Tampa, Florida, and Philly all took down the Caps recently as the defense seems wildly inconsistent. One night it’s five allowed then the next is two but still a loss. Alex Ovechkin’s 18 points, including 10 goals, leads the way for D.C. The Caps tango with Buffalo tonight before heading to Detroit Thursday.
18. Los Angeles Kings (5–5–1) (UP 9) — Losing two games in a row, Los Angeles looked to be out of sync; however, the Kings have has recovered and won four games in a row. After blowing out Montréal, the Kings’ won their last three matches by one-goal each, with two going to OT, as they beat St. Louis in a shootout and New Jersey in extra time off an Alex Iafallo winner. Arthur Kaliyev’s rookie season is taking off as he has three goals in his last four games. L.A. starts a four-game road trip in Toronto tonight.
19. Nashville Predators (6–5–1) (UP 7) — After sweeping a quick two-game homestand against the Sharks and Isles, Nashville took two of three in Western Canada, beating the Flames in OT while defeating the Canucks in regulation. Matt Duchene was electric in Canada, potting goals in all three games, including the winner against Calgary. In their latest match, the Preds lost to the Hawks in overtime. Juuse Saros continues to be phenomenal as he has a .925 save percentage. Nashville continues their road trip against Dallas on Wednesday.
20. Vegas Golden Knights (6–6–0) (UP 8) — After winning three consecutive games, including an overtime victory against the Stars, off the stick of Evgenii Dadonov, the Knights went .500 on a tour of eastern Canada (Detroit is basically Canada, right?). Wins against Ottawa and Montréal were sandwiched by losses against Toronto and Detroit. Off the ice, GM Kelly McCrimmon made a huge move, acquiring Jack Eichel, who’ll likely have his ADR surgery this week. Vegas begins a six-game homestand against Seattle Tuesday, with Minnesota coming in Thursday.
21. Buffalo Sabres (5–4–2) (DOWN 4) — Jack Eichel has been traded. Kevyn Adams sent the American forward to Vegas, along with a third-round pick, acquiring Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a conditional 2022 first-round pick, and a conditional 2023 second-round pick. Alex Tuch, a Syracuse native, said, “I am very excited to come to Buffalo… it will be a lot of fun to come and put on the Sabres jersey…”. Peyton Krebs will start in Rochester, with prospects Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. Buffalo heads to D.C. tonight.
22. Vancouver Canucks (5–6–1) (DOWN 4) — The fruits of this current homestand have borne little for the Canucks, as they’ve lost four of six. Their two wins came against the Stars and Rangers, as J.T. Miller scored a pair against his former team, with the second being the overtime winner. Brock Boeser has been hot as of late, as he has three goals in his last four appearances. Vancouver’s game against Dallas saw Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat each net three points to lead the Canucks to a win.
23. Pittsburgh Penguins (4–3–3) (DOWN 19) — Pittsburgh has hit a serious skid, losing four of their last five games. Most recently, and most tragically, the Pens allowed a game-tying goal against Minnesota with only 2.2 seconds to go; the Wild would win in a shootout even with Kasperi Kapanen scoring a hat trick. In their lone win, it took the Pens overtime to beat the Flyers as Kris Letang scored the winner. Pittsburgh heads to the Windy City tomorrow before hosting Florida Thursday.
24. New Jersey Devils (5–3–2) (DOWN 5) — California road trips are still killer, as the Devils couldn’t keep up with the hellish march up the West Coast, as they got three of a possible six points. Before the road trip to California, the Devils were able to outlast the Penguins in the 412. Mackenzie Blackwood made his debut against the Kings, giving the Devils an OT loss. Pavel Zacha and Andreas Johnsson lead New Jersey with seven points each. The Devils host Florida tomorrow before playing the Isles Thursday.
25. Boston Bruins (5–4–0) (DOWN 18) — Boston has only won once on the road this year, as the victory came against the Sabres, as the B’s have only scored three goals in their last three road contests. At home, the Bruins took down the Panthers in a shootout while Patrice Bergeron notched a four-goal game against the Red Wings this past Thursday. Brad Marchand has been the most consistent scorer for Boston, as the Rat has 14 points. Boston takes on Ottawa before Edmonton comes in on Thursday.
26. Colorado Avalanche (4–5–1) (DOWN 6) — Colorado has only won two of their last five games, winning matches against the Blues and Wild. The Avs matched up with Columbus the last two contests, losing both, once in overtime to the Blue Jackets. Darcy Kuemper hasn’t been as advertised, as the keeper has a .908 save percent. Kuemper hasn’t had the best defense in front of him either, as Colorado has allowed 36 goals. Colorado takes four days off before taking on Vancouver on Thursday.
27. Ottawa Senators (3–7–1) (DOWN 5) — There’s always light in the darkness, as the Sens have lost five of six, but Brady Tkachuk has been named captain of the Ottawa Senators. In those five losses, the Senators have allowed minimum five goals, totaling 27 goals allowed in that span. In the one win, Filip Gustavsson stopped 38 of 39 shots, with Josh Norris scoring a pair against Dallas. Ottawa will face off with the Bruins tomorrow before coming to Los Angeles on Thursday night.
28. Dallas Stars (4–5–2) (DOWN 14) — The big green machine is malfunctioning right now, as the Stars have lost five of six and were lucky to beat the Calgary Flames this past week. Jamie Benn’s overtime goal came at the right time, as it was the forward’s first of the campaign. Anton Khudobin’s sub .900 save percent has been a bit of a letdown with Braden Holtby playing so well. Miro Heiskanen continues to lead Dallas in scoring with 11 points. Nashville on Wednesday.
29. Seattle Kraken (4–7–1) (DOWN 1) — Losing to Arizona is never a cute look, as the Kraken blew a two-goal lead and allowed three goals in the third period. Before that loss, Jordan Eberle recorded the first hat trick at Climate Pledge Arena. Yanni Gourde has produced in his eight games, recording six points, with two in his last three games. Seattle’s .500 record over its last six matches shows some potential, as they did beat Minnesota. Seattle heads to Vegas to take on their expansion brethren.
30. Montréal Canadiens (3–10–0) (NO MOVEMENT) — To say things have been going bad in Montréal is an understatement. Allowing five goals (two empty netters) on 18 shots is never a good stat. Leading goal scorer Mike Hoffman has four goals which just isn’t enough; Montréal can’t score, as they average two goals a game. Carey Price will return to the Habs organization this Monday as he comes out of the Player’s Assistance Program. The Canadiens take on L.A. tomorrow before Calgary comes in on Thursday night.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (2–9–2) (UP 1) — Never forget what the Blackhawks did. If you have the time, watch Rick Westhead’s full interview with Kyle Beach.
32. Arizona Coyotes (1–10–1) (DOWN 1) — Congratulations, the Arizona Coyotes have finally won a game! It took them 11 losses before they could muster a comeback win against the Kraken. Before scoring five goals against Seattle, the Coyotes scored three goals in their previous five matches; talk about an offensively starved team. Bringing in Scott Wedgewood was a saving grace, as he stopped 27 of 29 shots in relief of Karel Vejmelka. Clayton Keller must be better than one point in his last five games with his contract. Arizona gets Minnesota Wednesday.
